Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Henry Longman

Brick Manufacturer and Collector of Rates

 

Henry Longman was born in 1791 at Abbas Combe, Templecombe, the third of the eight children of Charles Longman (1756-1817) and Esther née Hodges (1762-1846). Charles and Esther's children were; Charles (b1781), John (1785-1819), Henry, James (1793-1844), Samuel (1795-1819), William (1795-1819), Joseph (1797-1881) and Eliza (b1805).

On 10 April 1814, at St John's church, Henry married Mary Maidment (b1797). Henry and Mary were to have two sons; George Maidment (1816-1878) and Edwin Henry (1823-1897).

Mary was the daughter of quarryman, stone supplier and a brickmaker George Maidment (1750-1820) and his wife Ann née White. In his will of 1 September 1820 (proved on 30 January 1821) George Maidment left his business to Henry Longman " I give devise and bequeath unto the said Henry Longman the Good will of my Business".

Henry was listed in Pigot's Directory of 1822 as a Brick Maker of Hollands. Hollands, at this time, was the area to the north of Fiveways and included the houses at Green Quarry.

It would appear that by 1830, Henry Longman also leased the three-acre pasture between Hollands House and the Fiveways crossroads, labelled Parcel 580 on the map below. This was owned by Henry Etheridge and the Dorset County Chronicle, in its edition of 4 March 1830, advertised a sale of Etheridge's land holdings including "Lot 2. A valuable Close of Pasture Ground, called Hollands, situate near the town of Yeovil, by estimation 3 Acres, with the Stable thereon, in the occupation of Mr Henry Longman. Good brick clay and excellent building stone may be found on this lot."

Henry was listed in the Yeovil Poll Books of 1832 and 1834 by virtue of owning freehold houses in Reckleford and again he was noted as living at Hollands.

In the 1841 census 45-year old Henry was living at Green Quarry with his wife Mary. Henry listed his occupation as 'Collector of Rates'.

The Dorset County Chronicle, in its edition of 4 April 1844, noted "At a Vestry meeting held on Thursday last, Mr Edward Raymond, Mr John Brooke jun., Mr Alexander and Mr Henry Longman, were appointed Overseers for the year ensuing."

Henry Longman died on 8 November 1844. He was 48 years old. Mary died in Yeovil, either in 1848 or 1850.

 

 

A section of the 1842 Tithe Map showing the Five Crossroads at bottom left. The brickyard of George Maidment, and later Henry Longman, was Parcel 1066 at centre. This was to the immediate south of Green Quarry. Although the brickyard was usually listed as Hollands, this was the name of the general area.

Parcel 580 and its house, Hollands House, was the property and residence of solicitor John Batten in the 1840s, but in the late 1820s and early 1830s the 3-acre pasture of Parcel 580, was owned by Henry Etheridge. Etheridge leased the pasture to Henry Longman where "Good brick clay and excellent building stone may be found on this lot."

 

 

The record of the 10 April 1814 marriage of Henry Longman and Mary Maidment in St John's parish register.

 

The entry of the 27 August 182baptism of Henry and Mary's son Edwin, in St John's parish register. From this record it is seen that Henry and Mary lived in Green Quarry and Henry was a brick maker.

 

The surviving cottages of Green Quarry. Built in 1805 and photographed in 2014.